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assssnnaasis! 


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CONSTRUCTION 


ROESLING 


NEW  YORK: 

m  T.  Comstock 

1888. 


22221!: 


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L. 


Si 


Copyright,  F.  ROESLING,  1888 


JJ 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  object  of  this  work  is  to  show  in  a  condensed  form,  by  means  of  the  following  Plates, 
the  construction  of  Gothic  Details,  and  the  development  and  character  of  the  typical  forms  of 
the  various  periods  in  the  Gothic  Era. 

Many  details,  found  in  ancient  structures  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  have  been  care¬ 
fully  and  diligently  examined;  and  the  student  who  is  not  able  to  visit  the  grand  ecclesiastical 
buildings  erected  by  our  ancestors  will  find  much  information  in  the  adapted  geometrical  con¬ 
structions  which  older  and  highly  esteemed  authors  have  studied  and  laid  before  us,  to  be 
applied  wherever  beauty,  in  conformity  with  economy  and  aesthetic  taste,  is  desired. 

To  give  an  analysis  of  the  development  and  system  of  Gothic  Architecture,  from  the 
twelfth  century  to  the  period  of  the  Renaissance,  is  not  the  motive  of  this  work,  and  has  not 
been  attempted. 


On  PLATE  i 

The  characteristic  form  of  arches  represented  are  : 

Figs.  2,  3,  4. — SEGMENT  ARCHES,  in  which  the  centers  of 
the  segments  are  located  below  the  spring-line  of  the  arch. 

Fig-  5  -SEMI-CIRCULAR  ARCH.  Its  center  is  found  in 

spring-line  of  the  arch. 

Figs.  6,  7,  8,  9.—  POINTED  SEGMENT  ARCHES,  of 

which  aie  represented  in  : 

Fig.  6. — THE  TUDOR  ARCH,  having  four  centers.  Two  of 
its  centers  are  located  in  the  spring-line;  the  two  others  are 
below,  at  the  extremities  of  the  span. 

Figs.  7,  8. — POINTED  ARCHES.  Each  arch  is  described 
from  two  centers,  which  are  located  below  the  spring-line,  at  the 
extremity  of  the  span. 

Fig.  9.— DROP  ARCH.  It  is  described  from  two  centers 
located  in  the  spring-line,  with  radii  shorter  than  the  span  of 
the  arch. 

On  PLATE  2 

The  arches  represented  are  : 

Fig.  1. — THE  EQUILATERAL  ARCH.  It  is  described  from 
two  centers,  which  are  located  in  the  spring-line  at  the  extremity 
of  the  span  of  the  arch. 

Fig.  2.— THE  LANCET  ARCH.  Described  from  two  centers 
in  the  spring-line  beyond  the  extremity  of  the  span,  at  a  distance 
equal  to  the  diagonal  of  the  width  of  the  span. 

Fig.  3.— A  LANCET  ARCH.  It  is  described  from  two  centers 
lying  in  the  spring-line  beyond  the  extremities  of  the  span,  at  a 
distance  equal  to  the  width  of  the  span. 


Figs.  5,  6,  7,  8. —THE  OGEE,  OR  CONTRASTED 
ARCHES,  AND  THE  FOILED  ARCH.  These  arches 
are  described  from  three  to  five  centers.  See  lines  of  construc¬ 
tion  with  the  centerpoints  at  their  extremities. 

For  the  sake  of  brevity,  the  line  passing  through  springs  of  an  arch 
is  termed  spring-line. 

PLATE  3 

represents  the  division  of  the  periphery  of  the  circle,  to  enable 
the  students  to  find,  by  mechanical  construction,  the  length  of 
sides  of  the  trihedron,  square,  pentagon  sexagon,  octagon  and 
decagon,  etc.,  as  indicated  and  described. 

PLATE  4 

represents  ground  plans  and  elevations  of  paneled  piers,  indicat¬ 
ing  construction  of  depth  and  mode  of  sinking  of  panels. 

PLATES  5  and  6 

represent  ground  plans  and  elevations  of  bases,  and  paneled 
and  truncated  shafts,  suitably  applied  to  support,  decorated 
work,  etc. 

PLATES  7  and  8 

represent  mode  of  construction  of  from  three  to  six  foils,  placed 
on  the  trihedron,  square,  pentagon  and  sexagon,  with  some 
application  of  designs,  etc. 

PLATES  9,  10,  11,  12  and  13 

represent  the  adoption  of  flowing  tracery  in  Gothic  art  of  later 
date.  The  student  should  be  guided  : 

First — By  the  lightly  drawn  lines  of  construction,  in  order  to 
establish  the  correct  centers  of  circles  and  their  segments,  and  to 
obtain  the  true  nature  of  design; 

Next — By  constructing  correct  center  lines,  which  are  more 
distinctly  seen  than  the  lines  of  construction. 

When  the  desired  form  of  design  has  been  obtained,  then  lay 
on  or  apply  suitable  moulding  on  the  established  center  lines, 
in  order  to  miter  the  adapted  mouldings. 


The  rest  of  the  Plates  represent  the  application  of  the  foregoing  geometrical  construc¬ 
tions,  which  give  evidence  that,  by  the  adoption  of  the  herein  given  geometrical  lines  of  con¬ 
struction,  an  innumerable  variety  of  Gothic  designs  can  be  produced,  which,  without  difficulty, 
can  be  enlarged  or  diminished  without  the  loss  of  proportion  in  the  design. 


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UftRAKY 

MfVfRSW  of  ,LL,N0,S 

URBANA'  CHAMPAIGN 


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PREFACE. 


In  submitting  to  the  building  profession  this  compilation  of  “gothic 
details,”  the  author  desires  to  supply  a  long  felt  want,  so  that  not 
alone  architects,  builders  and  draughtsmen,  but  also  beginners  and 
artisans  in  general  can  study  the  fundamental  rules  of  the  gothic  style 
without  much  loss  of  time. 

A  rule  of  construction  for  every  detail  is  given,  which  permits  no 
modification  of  geometrical  lines,  for  the  historical  value  of  this  style 
strictly  forbids  any  deviation  from  the  geometrically  and  mathematic¬ 
ally  correct  lines. 

It  requires  only  a  brief  study  of  the  accompanying  details  of  the 
gothic  style  to  make  various  designs  in  a  manner  identical  with  that 
employed  by  our  ancestors;  and  while  many  structures  have  been  put 
up  in  the  spirit  of  our  present  time,  it  is  frequently  necessary  to  apply 
such  details  which  unite  beauty,  economy,  as  well  as  comfort,  and 
every  architect,  builder  and  draughtsman,  in  enlarging  or  reducing 
forms  of  structures  erected  in  former  times,  should  not  destroy  the 
general  character  of  such  buildings,  but  should  strictly  adhere  to  the 
established  rules  of  the  gothic  style. 

The  details  of  construction  herein  given,  it  must  be  understood, 
are  the  productions  of  the  genius  of  our  ancestors,  and  they  are  herein 
reproduced,  especially  for  enlarging  or  reducing  the  proportions,  with¬ 
out  running  the  risk  of  losing  design  or  time  in  construing  or  carry¬ 


ing  out  the  details. 


THE  AUTHOR. 


\UJW>' 


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PENTAGON 


OCTAGON 


DECAGON. 


Intersect  Periphery  with  length  of  Radius  a-b. 
Each  intersection  produces  the  vertex  of  the  angles 
in  the  Sexagon. 


Divide  Radius  a-b  in  one-half,  which  point  gives 
the  Center  c:  describe  the  Segment  d-e.  The  dis¬ 
tance  e-f  is  equal  to  one-half  of  the  length  of  one 
side  of  the  Octagon. 


Divide  Radius  a-b  in  one-half,  which  point  gives 
Center  c;  describe  the  Segment  d-e.  The  distance 
e-a  is  equal  to  the  length  of  one  side  of  the  Decagon. 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  PENTAGON 


BY  THE 


GIVEN  LENGTH  OF  ONE  SIDE. 


a-b. 


Set  compass  in  a;  open  it  to  the  given  length  ot 
side  a-b,  and  describe  section  of  a  circle  c-d:  set 
compass  in  b,  and  describe  the  same  kind  section  of 
a  circle  e-f:  set  compass  in  h,  and  intersect  with 
the  same  opening  of  the  compass  the  already  de¬ 
scribed  sections  of  circles  in  e  and  c;  then  draw  the 
lines  c-f  and  e-d  through  center  point  g,  and  the 
ends  of  lines  b-f  and  a-d  are  given  with  adjacent 
angles. 


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DIVISION 


OK 


PERI 


PH 


ERY 


OF  THE  CIRCLE 


TRIHEDRON. 


Intersect  Periphery  with  length  of  Radius  a-b  six 
times ;  take  two  points  of  intersections  for  each  ver¬ 
tex  of  angles  in  the  Trihedron. 


SEXAGON. 


IN 

SQUARE. 


Divide  Radius  a-b  in  one-half,  which  gives  the 
Center  c  of  Segment  d-e.  The  length  of  the  Segment 
is  equal  to  the  length  of  one  side  of  the  Pentagon. 


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